Colburn's New Monthly Magazine has the following about Russian policy and Russian designs :— " Alexander wrote to Napoleon — ' I offer you the half of Europe, I will help you to obtain it, secure you in the possession of it, and all I ask in return is the possession of a single strait, which is also the key of my house.' Napoleon, according to O'Meara, in his ' Voice from St. Helena,' replied thus :— ' In the course of a few years Russia will have Constantinople, the greatest part of Turkey, and all Greece. This I hold to be as certain as if it had already taken place. Almost all the cajoling and flattering which Alexander practised towards me was to gain my consent to effect this object. I would not consent, seeing that the equilibrium of Europe would be destroyed. In tbe natural course of things, in a few years Turkey must fall to Russia. The greatest part of her population are Greeks, who, you may see, arc Russians. The Powers it would injure, and who would oppose it, are England, France, Prussia, and Austria. It would be very easy for Russia to engage Austria's assistance by giving her Servia and other provinces bordering upon the Austrian dominions which extend towards Constantinople, The only hypothesis that France and England may ever be allied with sincerity will be in order to prevent this But even this alliance will not avail. France, England, and Prussia united cannot prevent it. Once mistress of Constantinople, Russia gets ail the commerce of the Mediterranean, becomes a great naval power, and God knows what may happen. She quarrels with you (Eoglamt), marches off to India an army of 70,000 good soldiers, which to Russia is nothing, and 100,000 canaille, Cossacks and others, and England loses India. Above all the other powers, Russia is the most lo be feared, especially by you. Her Boldiers are braver than tbe Aus* trians, and she has means of raising as many as she pleaaes. In bravery the French and English soldiers are the Oiily ones to be compared to them. All this I foresaw. I see into futurity further than any other, aad I wanted to establish a barrier against those barbarians by re-establishing the Kingdom of Polaud, and putting Poniatoweki at (he head of it as kiog; but your imbeciles of Ministers wouli not consen 1 . A hundred years hence I shall be
praised, and Europe, especially England, wilt lament that I did not succeed. When they ace the finest countries jin Europe overrun and a prey to those northern barbarians they will gay, 1 Napoleon was right.* " '.
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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 129, 2 June 1877, Page 4
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436Untitled Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 129, 2 June 1877, Page 4
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